Violence and Futility

Violence in Macbeth is central to action. The play begins with a battle against rebel forces in which Macbeth distinguishes himself as a valiant and loyal warrior. Later, Macbeth's murder of King Duncan is condemned as an unnatural deed but the play also raises the question of whether or not there's any real difference between killing a man in combat and murdering for self gain. Violence in all forms is frequently associated with masculinity – the play is full of characters (Macbeth, Macduff, Young Siward, and so on) that must prove their "manhood" by killing. Even Lady Macbeth asks to be "unsexed" so that she may be "filled with direst cruelty." At the same time, the play also suggests that unchecked violence may lead to a kind of emotional numbness that renders one inhuman.

 The film also emphasises the futility of violence. In the famous "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech, Macbeth says life is "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" (Act 5, Scene 5). Also, Polanski's final scene shows Donalbain encountering the witches which suggests that the violence will continue without end.